How many College students?

[CorrieDeservedIt]

How many Jtfers are currently attending college? and is it worth it in this era of Political correctness to pay massive amounts of money for a low quality education that in the end will leave us with massive debt instead of a dream job we desire?
I'm currently debating what to do about my educational future and I'm torn up about this issue.

[Rubystars]

How many Jtfers are currently attending college? and is it worth it in this era of Political correctness to pay massive amounts of money for a low quality education that in the end will leave us with massive debt instead of a dream job we desire?
I'm currently debating what to do about my educational future and I'm torn up about this issue.

Pick your major carefully, and then guard your mind and heart because they will try to brainwash you with communism in the required courses that have nothing to do with your major.

[realist26]

My advice would be to do college if:
A) you want to be a doctor, dentist etc
B) you are tech savvy and think you can land a good startup type job
C) you want to do something traditional/boring like accounting

Otherwise, you are better off doing a trade, something people will always need and can thrive in a cash economy

[drlmg]

Thank goodness I am finished.... 12-14 years.... I am in the medical field. I would like to add a few things.....

I agree with realist26.... however I am not sure about the doctor / dentist part due to oBummacare. I will get to that shortly....

Do not go to a private school unless you can justify it with certainty. If you will earn significantly more or be able to get a better job. In my field it is not really a factor. I have had only a few (less than 10 in almost 10 years) ask where I went to school and I think that was just because of college football.

Go to a state funded university with as few liberal instructors as possible, they will drive you insane. I was accepted to Boston University but did not go, it would have been around 30k per year as opposed to about 8k per year at my state funded university. After graduating and working with others, I began to see that I actually learned more and was exposed to more than many others who attended very expensive and prestigious private schools. Our graduating class scored highest in the nation on national board exams. You become known for YOU and your work, not for the school you attended. Patients value your personality and compassion more than anything (that is if you are even half way competent).

Ask around and find out where to take classes and who to take them from.

***** Concentrate on passing exams and making as good a grade as possible***** School is a game, you have to learn to play it and succeed. Focus on what you think they want you to know for exams. In reality, it is all about grade point average and exam scores (as far as the school is concerned). This is more important than learning, I am totally serious. You will inevitably learn but if you are going on to a graduate  program you can learn what you need to know from prep courses.... (MCAT, DAT, GRE, LSAT, etc) in order to be accepted. Also, if going to a graduate program, invest in a prep course (not just books) like Kaplan before you take the entrance exam. You can learn AFTER YOU GET IN to the graduate program, everything you need to know should be taught at that point.

Make sure your chosen field of study is one that pays well and that you can easily find a job doing. Also, make sure it is something that not just anyone could do. If everyone gets the same idea as you, and they are able to act on it that will mean fewer jobs.

Admission committees (from what I have seen, I could be wrong)..... An A from any legitimate college or university is as good as an A from an extremely difficult school....
Example.... I took Organic Chemistry as an accelerated summer course, in 10 (or12) weeks we completed the whole year. That alone made it very difficult but on top of that I took it at Georgia Tech which made it even more difficult... I made a B, and it was very difficult. I would have been better off getting an A from a regular course (not accelerated) from any accredited school even though that would have been much easier to attain.

I will not get into pay, but I will say it has been declining gradually for a year or more. I work with medicaid, medicare, and all sorts of government funded plans along with traditional insurance and cash patients. oBumma care will drive many traditional insurance programs out of business. Government programs are getting to the point where they barely cover operating expenses, some procedures actually cost more to perform than the reimbursement you get for doing it... you LOSE money. However, if you don't participate you lose a large number of patients. The reimbursement fees are continuing to decline and will take a huge decline when oBumma care comes into effect. My cousin is a psychiatrist, he recently closed his established practice for fear of going bankrupt.

True situation....I am being told by medicaid that they will only pay for X (example), however X is not up to the level of standard care. I can be reprimanded by the state medical board for doing what they are saying to do. If I perform X procedure as is standard of care, I won't get a penny from medicaid. If I perform Y as medicaid is telling me, I will get a small pay but will be doing a great disservice to the patient and could potentially be sued or reprimanded by the state board of medical examiners. There would be NO defense since you do what YOU know should be done and NOT as dictated by anyone else... they could care less what medicaid or anyone will or won't pay for.

For reasons above, I am not sure the medical field is a good choice.... but if you are like me, it is the only choice. I had to do it no matter if I got paid or not, I just hate being taken advantage of... and contrary to what many may think I do not make a fortune, especially when working hours are taken into consideration. I feel I am payed more than I deserve based on me, however based on what some other morons are being payed I am not so sure. I thought about graduate study in physics, I loved physics but was told the job market wasn't that great.

I have heard tech schools are great in this economy. Few want to go to tech school (apparently) but they are teaching trades that you can get work doing. Example... welders can find jobs rather easily and are making appx. 80k per year. Machinists and a lot of other skilled trades are very hard to find in the US, one reason a lot of tech companies are going to India.

Not sure if this rambling even makes sense.... typed here and there at different times since last night.

[drlmg]

Good thing I have a problem with authority and an addiction to debate. College is easy. Listen to what the blathering mouth says, as it is the right answer even though it is always factually incorrect. Write your essaies like this

Title
Thesis (write what you're going to say in I-III A-C, in 1-2 sentences)
I (write what you're going to write in A, B, and C)
A( write the same thing as you did in 1 for the first sentence, and write it in another way for the last one)
B,C (same thing)
II, III same thing
Conclusion (write the same thing you did in the thesis in a different way)

What goes in the middle is the right answers to whatever lie they told you, and be sure to call a gay, a black guy or any abortionist/anti-war activist/any libbie a "hero of the __ movement/cause" and courageous. You now get 100%.

Just don't except to learn anything of any value whatsoever that will help you in any way, or you'll get discouraged and quit. After you get it, companies will take the stuff you were interested in the first place more seriously if you're useful, or you can just be a tool and learn as you go if you expected an education.

My wife is back in school and as an elective she has taken a course that requires essays on poems and short stories.... most of which are extremely absurd to me. You have to translate cryptic lunacy to arrive at the supposed point which is usually something on the level of a child's epiphany. Some of them are not anything because you have to take the ambiguous writings and make it into your own poem or story. Literally, one LONG poem was saying if you run around drinking and partying you probably won't be as successful as if you studied and worked. I would be looking for something a little deeper since everyone should know that already.

Anyway, she writes essays the way she was taught years ago (about 7 years) and she made very good grades on her essays. Her conclusions make perfect sense to me and to others apparently...(i looked up on the internet at people discussing them). However, her instructor always has some off the wall overly simplistic conclusion or one that makes a political point. This is OK since it is what YOU make of the poem, but the instructor will say it is good and give a 85 or similar. My wife looked at other student essays that were poorly written, out of usual form, and had very simplistic child mentality conclusions.... she gave them As.

I wonder if the average university now is on the same level as 10 years ago? I do know high school students I have seen are at a much lower level. Many have to learn things in college that they should already know, slowing the whole class down.

[Secularbeliever]

You raise an interesting question.  I think it is a good idea to be educated, but whether there are better ways to get educated is the tough question.  Good luck.

[briann]

If you are clueless as to what you want to do... take classes in lots of different areas of focus.

Most people dont know exactly what they want to do with their life until they are in their mid 20's.  So don't rush into anything.

If you are going into business (since that was my area of focus)....   undergrad degrees are worthless... get your masters... and get it from a top tier school if you can.

[drlmg]

If you are clueless as to what you want to do... take classes in lots of different areas of focus.

Most people dont know exactly what they want to do with their life until they are in their mid 20's.  So don't rush into anything.

If you are going into business (since that was my area of focus)....   undergrad degrees are worthless... get your masters... and get it from a top tier school if you can.

So a top tier school is important in business? Do you mean a good school as in Harvard or Yale.... a school like that? Do you mean a good school like Emory or Georgia Tech (GA Institute of Technology)?
I am just wondering out of curiosity.

I would like to add...... hang out with people of like mind.... people who have goals or are already on their way to becoming successful. I am not saying don't associate with people who are poor or who work regular jobs, just saying that if you see others with goals who are working toward something you have support and someone who understands. It is great to have someone to talk to for support, advice, etc.... and someone that you may be able to help as well.

To be blunt, there is an old saying..... If you hang out with $hit, sooner or later you will get it on you. That goes the other way just the same to work for the positive.

[P J C]

Im a freshman in college majoring in Criminal Justice